The 2023 draft is in the books. San Francisco entered the three-day event with 11 selections, but thanks to a third-round trade up finished with nine players in their draft class.
They hit some key needs at tight end and free safety. They also made a surprise choice at No. 99 and took a kicker earlier than the team has ever taken a player at that position.
Here’s a quick rundown of each player picked by San Francisco in this year’s draft:
Round 3, Pick 87: S Ji'Ayir Brown, Penn State
Brown was a two-year starter for the Nittany Lions and played a role in 16 turnovers during those two seasons. He also tallied 18 pass breakups in that span. Brown should compete at free safety right away, and he has the skill set to play all over the field in the 49ers’ secondary.
Round 3, Pick 99: K Jake Moody, Michigan
Moody walked on at Michigan in 2018, but worked primarily as a kickoff specialist until 2021. During his last two years he drilled 86.7 percent of his kicks, and all 116 of his extra point tries. His career long was 59 yards.
Round 3, Pick 101: TE Cameron Latu, Alabama
This is the first real investment the 49ers have made in trying to find a quality backup for George Kittle. Latu caught 56 balls for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final two years with the Crimson Tide. He’s a capable blocker, but he’ll need to be more consistent there to find regular playing time with San Francisco.
Round 5, Pick 155: CB Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama
Luter isn’t a perfect cornerback prospect, but he has enough size, length and athleticism to compete for a starting job in the NFL. He had 23 pass breakups and five interceptions at South Alabama and started 23 of the 34 games he played in three years there.
Round 5, Pick 173: DE Robert Beal Jr., Georgia
When in doubt, take a defender from Georgia. It appeared the 49ers might go for a defensive end earlier in this year’s draft. Instead they took a fifth-round flyer on Beal and his enormous upside. He’s 6-3, 247 pounds with very long arms (83-inch wingspan) and he ran a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash at the combine. Size and speed are two traits worth betting on with a Day 3 DE.
Round 6, Pick 216: LB Dee Winters, TCU
Add Winters to the list of undersized, fast linebackers in the 49ers’ linebacking corps. He is listed at 5-11, 227 pounds and ripped off a 4.49 40 at the combine. Winters was a three-year starter for the Horned Frogs and played in 48 college games during four seasons there. He racked up 246 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 10 pass breakups and three interceptions in his career.
Round 7, Pick 247: TE Brayden Willis, Oklahoma
Willis is a bit of a project at TE, but he had a good career as a receiver with 998 yards and eight touchdowns on 75 catches. He’s capable of lining up all over the field, and he might even project long-term as a fullback in the 49ers’ offense.
Round 7, Pick 253: WR Ronnie Bell, Michigan
Bell was tied to the 49ers during the pre-draft process. None of his measurables or numbers will jump off the screen, but he’s a quality receiver who blocks and impacted the game at all three levels in college. He finished his career with 145 catches for 2,269 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Round 7, Pick 255: LB Jalen Graham, Purdue
Graham breaks the mold of 49ers linebackers a bit. He’s not a great athlete and he’s not awesome in coverage. However, he was productive at Purdue with 169 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 16 pass breakups and 3 interceptions.
